With the election only 21 days away, the Honorable Mayor Kevin Faulconer spoke at Chargers Park on Tuesday to make one thing clear.
"A vote for C is a vote to keep the Chargers in San Diego," he said. "It's also a vote for the future of our city. I believe it's very important for San Diegans to have professional sports that bring us together….Professional sports are one of the building blocks of a world-class city. With Measure C, we have a chance to look forward to the future and make that foundation stronger."
Faulconer believes the joint stadium and convention center will be a boon for the economy as an entity that can be used over 350 days a year in addition to keeping an important civic entity like the Chargers in Americas Finest City.
Overall, the mayor is the latest endorsement in what is a broad base of support that includes the San Diego Chamber of Commerce and former Mayor Jerry Sanders , the Downtown Stadium Partnership, the restaurant association, construction industry and many more.
"Keeping the Chargers here in San Diego as well as growing our tourism economy with additional conventions is something that is very, very important for the future of this city," Faulconer said. "This is about professional sports (and) our tourism economy which is why we worked so very, very hard to make sure we have protections and safeguards that guarantee both."
The mayor admitted he had some concerns initially on the initiative, and spent months working with the Chargers to create protections that make sense for everyone involved. Together, they agreed to terms on safeguards for the city while guaranteeing full funding on tourism marketing to keep San Diego's economy strong.
"We got those agreements, and that's very important," Faulconer said. "That's why I'm out here today talking about it…. (We) made sure that we had additional protections that I believe are important in both the short-term and long-term financially for the city. I mentioned some of those today. It makes it a strong process, and that's my job as mayor to make sure we have those protections for the city. (We) did so in the right way, so I think that has made this whole effort much stronger."
"The mayor and his team were very thorough," Chargers President of Business Operations A.G. Spanos said. "They took their time to ensure the city's interests were looked after. We're very grateful he put in the time and effort that allowed us to reach an agreement. His endorsement is incredibly meaningful to have on our ballot measure."
Faulconer concluded his remarks by urging fans to "Vote yes on Measure C. It is the right thing for San Diego. I'm proud to be here today in support with this very strong coalition."
Philip Rivers and Luis Castillo were part of that coalition in addition to labor and business leaders.
Each player spoke about how the Chargers mean more to the city than just football, and how they can't envision San Diego without the Bolts. They explained how being a Charger means playing an active role to improve the community, from life changing events such as the annual blood drive to every day occurrences that improve the lives for those less fortunate.
"What struck me about Luis and Philip's speeches is that they spoke as much as fans as they did as players about the Chargers organization," Spanos said. "Their passion is shared by many others in this community who feel deeply about Chargers football in this city."
Paid for by Vote Yes on C, with major funding by Chargers Football Company, LLC.
